50 Craft Breweries Unveil Their Recipes For Homebrewers

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Are you a homebrewer?  Even if you aren’t, but you are a craft beer fan, I’m willing to bet you know at least a few people who are homebrewers.  I myself first started homebrewing well over 20 years ago (but I’m between systems right now, which is killing me!) and back then, just like today, many homebrewers started out by trying to recreate some of their favorite craft beers at home.

Back in my early days, when craft breweries were few and far between, the holy grail for many homebrewers was to successfully reproduce or ‘clone’ beers like Sierra Nevada Brewing‘s Pale Ale.  If you could do that as a homebrewer back in the early 90’s, then you really knew your stuff.  The challenge was that you pretty much had to come up with the recipe on your own.  The homebrewing community was much smaller, there were few helpful recipe guides and there was no brewing software like BeerSmith or Brewtarget  to help you out.

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Samuel Adams Announces The Brewing The American Dream Collaboration Pack

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Collaboration beers have become quite popular in the craft beer World.  When some of your favorite breweries team up, it’s always exciting to see what new creations they’ll come up with.  This year’s 3-Way IPA from Fort George Brewery for example (brewed in collaboration with Reuben’s Brews and Great Notion Brewing), is so popular it’s been rather difficult to find this year.

Now Samuel Adams (The Boston Beer Company) is getting in on the collaboration action with their Brewing The Great American Dream Collaboration Pack.  This mixed pack will include five new collaboration beers, brewed Roc Brewing Co. (Rochester, NY), Bosque Brewing(Albuquerque, NM), ChuckAlek Independent Brewers (Ramona, CA), Woods Beer Co. (San Francisco, CA) and Brewery Rickoli (Wheat Ridge, CO), as well as their flagship Samuel Adams Boston Lager.

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The 2017 PNA Summer Beer Taste Happens This Weekend

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Each year, the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) hosts a Summer Beer Tasting. This year will be the 12th year for this fun event, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday, July 22nd at the Phinney Neighorhood Center.

The motto/slogan for this year’s event is Summer of Beer which is a throwback, of course, to the Summer of Love. That’s very fitting since the Summer of Love was exactly 50 years ago (1967).

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Are You Ready To Take Your LongShot With Samuel Adams?

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The vast majority of brewers out there creating some of your favorite libations at countless craft breweries across the nation were, at one time, homebrewers.  They started out small-scale, found their passion and decided to take it to the next level.  Have you been homebrewing for a while?  Do you get lots of compliments on your beers and feel like you might want to make a career out of brewing?  Then you might want to seriously consider entering the Samuel Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest.

The winner will gain invaluable experience in a one-week ‘Brewership’ at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery.  Also, the winner and two runners up will attend the next Great American Beer Festival and will get a valuable scholarship for an online course at The Siebel Institute of Technology.  This is an amazing opportunity for the right person to really take their passion for brewing and take a shot at making it their life’s work.  

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Tankard & Tun Opens Today

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Last night my wife and I, along with several other members of the local media, were fortunate to attend a special preview night at Seattle’s newest craft beer and gourmet food spot: Tankard & Tun.  Created by Charles and Rose Ann Finkel, the same people who brought you Seattle’s iconic Pike Brewing Company, this Oyster bar and restaurant is a bit more upscale and, fittingly, is right upstairs from The Pike.

I first told you about Tankard & Tun back in April, when it was first announced and the Finkels were deep into construction and planning.  It’s a beautiful, spread out space with a moderately sized bar area (the only section that is 21 and over only) a fermentation deck and few separate seating areas, including a private event mezzanine that’s upstairs but somehow still doesn’t make you feel removed from the market.

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Counterbalance Brewing Debuts Their First Cans

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I never used to be a big fan of the can.  Like most of you, I’m sure, I prefer to get my beers on tap whenever possible.  When it’s not possible, the bottle was and in many cases still is my favorite choice.  However, there can be no denying that cans have made a comeback in a big, big way.  They’re lighter, more portable, won’t break like glass bottles and they’re easy to pack out if you want to bring some beers long for a hiking or camping trip.

Many breweries have started canning recently and now Counterbalance Brewing Company is teaming up with the new Beer Star in White Center for the official release of their first canned beers.  First up for the can treatment are Counterbalance IPA and Raconteur Rye Pale Ale.

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Foggy Noggin Is Hosting An English IPA Tap Takeover

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After a long Fn week.  I bet you could use a Fn beer, am I right?  Now, are you a fan of English style IPAs?  They differ a bit from American style IPAs with their bitter yet smooth finish and a pronounced but never over-the-top hop character.  American style IPAs tend to be much more in your face with the hops, slapping you with a big blast of hop aroma and flavor.  American IPAs also tend to have, on average, a higher ABV than English style IPAs.

Foggy Noggin Brewing Company up in Bothell has lots of experience brewing English style Ales.  In fact, it’s their specialty.  Now, they’d like to devote a special day to just English style IPAs so, this coming Saturday, June 24th, Foggy Noggin will be hosting their first ever/first annual English IPA Tap Takeover.

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Fremont Brewing Releases Pride Kölsch For Pride Month

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This month is Pride Month in Seattle and across the nation.  There are several Pride themed events happening around Seattle, culminating on June 23-25, when the Pride Parade, Seattle PrideFest, Trans Pride, and Seattle Dyke March & Rally will take place.

Fremont Brewing Company supports Pride Month and cares about the safety and self-determination of the LGBTQ community. They also want to help foster an LGBTQ presence in the craft beer World.  To that end, they are preparing once again this year to release their Pride Kölsch, which will arrive just in time for all of Seattle Pride Month’s biggest events.

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12th Of Never Ale From Lagunitas Gets A Big Brother

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Last year, Lagunitas Brewing Company introduced 12th Of Never Ale, their first ever canned beer.  This assertive IPA is citrusy and full-bodied yet still light on the palate.  Like so many other beers from Lagunitas, it became an instant hit and Summertime favorite for many craft beer lovers.  Lagunitas was even nice enough to provide an ample supply of 12th Of Never Ale for a local, private fundraising event I recently attended.  Thanks guys!

Well, 12th Of Never Ale is back for 2017.  This time, however, there’s one big difference – the size.  Those cute little 12oz cans of 12th Of Never you’ve been drinking?  Yeah, they have a new big brother: the 12th Of Never 19 oz tall boy.  That’s right.  This Summer, when you take 12th Of Never along for your adventures, you’ll be able to bring it in a new container that will give the other beers people have packed in a serious case of can envy.

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Melvin Brewing Opens In Bellingham

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Melvin Brewing Company out of Alpine and Jackson, Wyoming brews some pretty tasty beers.  Since they began distribution in the Seattle area in early 2016, I’ve come to really appreciate several of their offerings.  The two of their beers people around here are probably the most familiar with include their wildly popular 2×4 Imperial IPA and, of course, last year’s 3-Way IPA (brewed in conjunction with Fort George Brewing Company and Barley Brown’s).

First launched in 2009, Melvin took off quickly and gained high praise from the brewing industry, including a 2012 Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival for their 2×4 Imperial IPA (among other awards).  Now, they’ve launched a 3rd location, and their first full-scale brewpub, right here in Washington State.  Opened in Bellingham on June 3rd, Melvin’s brewpub offers 20 taps (including one rotating guest tap) and a full menu.

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